Gage.



H. L. DAWSON.

GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 21, 190s.

1,21 9,264. Y Patented Mar. I3, 1917.

II I

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

HORACE L. DAWSON,y OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T THE CU'1LER.IHIAM]!IE2R` MFG. CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

GAGE.

Specication or Letters Batent.

Patented Mar. 13,1917.

' To all 'whom t may4 concer/n:

Be it known that I, HORACE L. D AwsoN,

f a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gages, of which the followingfis a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gages. It applies more particularly to gages which are used for measuring the level of a liquid in .a tank, and which, through the agency of suitable means, controls the amount of liquid supplied to the tank.

.There .are other applications of my inven` tion, however, so it should be understood that the structure which I show and describe herein is selected merely forl the purpose of illustration and should'not be construed as a limitation upon the constructionand appli-y cation of my invention.

The object of my invention is to provide a gage, the operation of which willnot be affected by the action -of thermic conditions upon the fluid by which it is actuated.

A gage constructed in accordance with my invention is especially appropriate for controlling the level of water in a tank which is placed out of doors, as its operation is not defeated when the surface of the water in the tank freezes, as is the case with/float gag$ According tothe preferred form of my invention, I provide a member which is preferably provided with two up-standing communicating tubes, one adapted to protrude into the inside of the .tank and the other varranged on the outside of the tank.

I shall assume, for the purpose of illustration, that an electric motor is used to drive a pump for supplying liquid to a tank, in lwhich case I provide suitable instrumentalities for starting and stopping the motor,- which lare controlled'by means of the gage. Of course, the gage may be used to control other devices and it may serve to measure 'x trated one form of my invention as used for measuring the level of a fluid in a tank, a

portion of the tank being shown in section. I have also diagrammatically shown a relay, a. main switch, a motor, and an automatic rheostat.

In the gage shown in the drawings I provide two 11p-standing tubes, 1 and 2, which are connected at their lower ends by a transverse tube 3. The tube 1 is disposed inside of a tank A, in which a predetermined quantity of liquid is to be maintained, and the tube 3 is shown as extending lthrough one wall of the tank. The-tubes 1, 2 and 3, are preferably partially filled with mercury, though I desire it to be understood that I may employ any other suitable liquid. I preferably secure acylinder 4f to the outer tube 2, of greater diameter than the inner tube, so that when the height of the mercury changes a certain distance in the inner tube, due to a change in the-level of the liquid in the tank, the change in height thereof in the inner tube and the cylinder will be inversely proportionate to the square of the respective diameters of the inner tube and the cylinder. In other words, by utilizing the enlarged cylinder 4 the extent of movement of any device associated with the gage may be reduced. The cylinder 4 is supported upon a panel 5 by means of standards 6.

s shown in the drawing, the relay C consists of a float 7 adapted to rest upon the surface of the mercury and be actuated by the movement thereof. A rod 8 is secured to and extends upwardly from the float and has its upper portion screw-threaded. Contact disks 9 and 10 are threaded upon said rod, and when adjusted to desired positions, are clamped in place by means of nuts 11. The disks 9 and 10 are adapted, under certain conditions, to engage stationary contacts 12-1`3 and 14--15 respectively, which are secured to the panel 5.

The current for operating the different -devices illustrated is supplied by main lines 'L and L. The relay is shown as controlling the operation of a mainV switch S. The main switch is operated by a solenoid winding 16, which is connected to the lines L and L by conductors 17 and 18 respectively, 'resistances Rand R being connected on each side of the winding. The resistance R is employed toprotect the winding 16y against excessive currents, while the resistance R prevents the closure of the switch S under normal conditions, as hereinafter set forth. T he main switch S is connected to the line L by conductor 19' and, when closed, is adapted to engage stationary contacts 20 and 21.

A motor M, adapted to operate a pump (not shown) for supplying liquid to the tank A., has one terminal of its held f connected to the contact 21 by conductor 22, and the other terminal thereof by conductor 23 to the line L. lf have provided an automatic rheostat ,'l for protecting the armature a against an excessive rush of current during starting. @ne terminal of the armature is connected to the conductor 22, while the other terminal thereof is connected by conductor 24C to one side of the resistance `25 controlled by said rheostat; the other side of said resistance being connected to the line L by conductor 26. Rheostat T comprises a series of contacts 27, connected at intervals to the resistance 25, an arm 28, a solenoid winding 29, and a core 30, pivoted to the arm 28. rllhe winding 29, when ener gized, is adapted to raise its core and move the arm 28 over the series of contacts to cut out the resistance from the armature circuit. 'llhe winding 29 is connected by con ductors 31 and 32 to the contact 20 and the line la', respectively. rlfhe arm 28, in its initial position, is adapted to engage a contact 33. 'llhe rate of movement lof the arm 28 is preferably controlled by a dash-pot 3d. 'llhe relay C is electrically connected to the other devices -shown, as follows:4 the contacts 12 and 14 by conductor 35 to conductor 18;.the contact 13 by conductor 36 to conductor 17 and the contact 15 -by conductor 37 to Contact 33.

The operation ofthe devices will now be explained. lSuppose the level ofthe liquid in the tank has been lowered to a predetermined minimum height, the pressure of said liquid upon the column of mercury will di` minish sufficiently to allow the mercury to lower in the cylinder l until the disk 10 engages the stationary contacts 1l and 15..

A circuit will thus be established, as follows: from line lb by conductor 17 and protective resistance R, winding 16, conductors 18 and 35, across disk 10, conductor 37, toA

i the resistance 25 being in series with the ict armature. 'llhe circuit of the winding 29 is also closed by switch S andwill move the arm 28 over the series of contacts 27 to short-circuit the resistance 25. As soon as the motor is started and has raised the level of the liquid in the tank slightly, the increased pressure thereof` will cause the col'- ,tambor brought up to full speed and kept in op- 'by Letters Patent is:-

lsive to variations in the level of fluid withumn of mercury to raise the disk 10 out of yengagement with the contacts 14E-45. The

,in closed position.'

llt will thus be seen that the motor will be 7 5, eration until the lliquid has been raised to a predetermined maximum height. When the maximum height is reached, the disk 9 will complete a circuit from conductor 17 by conductors 36 and .35 'to conductor 18. 8o .lhe winding 16 is. therefore, shunted and will become denergized and allow the switch S to open and break lthe motor circuit. rllhe winding 29 of the rheostat will also be denergized and will allow the arm 28 to return to initial position so that the resistance 25 will again be placed in series with the armature a of 'the motor.4 v What ll claim as new and desireto secure 99 1. '.lhe comb-'nation with aI Huid receptacle, of a Huid containing gage therefor having, a portion within said receptacle and a communicating portion without the same, said first mentionedportion having an' opening' at a distance from all walls of said receptacle for subjecting the fluid'contained by said gage tothe pressure of the Huid in said receptacle and a circuit closer responin the portion of said gage without said re 2. The combination with a liquid containing receptacle, of a level indicating gage therefor comprising an open tube submerged within said receptacle and spaced from all i walls thereof and a communicating tube without said receptacle, said tubes contain- :ing Huid subject to the pressure of the liquid within said receptacle and a circuit 110 closer responsive to variations in the level of fluid-within the second mentioned tube.

3. 'lhe combination with a, fluid receptacle, of a gage therefor comprising a substantiallyy lll-shaped tubular member containing lHuid, one of the uprights of said member being submergedwithin said receptacle and the other extending without the same and said outer upright having a portion of larger diameter. than said inner up- 12o rightwhereby variations in the level of the fluid in said outer upright will be less than. but proportional to variations in the levelV of the fluid in said inner upright and a circuit closer'responsive to variations in the 12e level of Huid within said outer upright.

Il. The combination with a fluid receptacle, of a gage therefor comprising a substantially lll-shaped tubular member containing duid, one of the uprights of said 18o member `being submerged within said recep'tacle and the other extending without the same vand said outer upright having a portion of larger diameter than said inner upright whereby variations in the level of the fluid in said outer upright will be less than but proportional to variations in the level of the uid in said inner upright and a device including a float responsive to fluid level variations in said upright portion of larger diameter.

5. The combination with a fluid container, of means responsive to the variations in the level of the iiuid therein, said means comprising a substantially U-shaped gage having one upright within and the other without said container, a oat arranged in the outer upright and a plurality of switches operable hy said loat, said switches being arranged for closure upon movement of said 20 float in opposite directions.

6. The combination with a fluidcontainer, of means subject to variations in the level of the fluid therein, said means comprising a gage having an opening submerged vwithin said receptacle andl an enlarged portion without the same, a float in said enlarged portion, and a plurality of independently adjustable contact' devices operated by said oat.

In ywitness whereof, havehereunto subscribed name in the presence of two witnesses.

rio-anca L. Dawson.,

Witnesses:

F. Gr.' HOOLE`7 R. l. PHiLLIPs.- 

